Propeller-shaft strut



Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES y 1,679,388 PATENT OFFICE.

CLEMENT A. TEo'rH, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AssrGNoE yro MARINE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLY COMPANY, F PHILADELPHIA,

PORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

PROPELLER-SHAFT STRUT.

Application led August 24, V1926. Serial No. 131,176.

; `This invention, generally stated, relates to propeller shafting as employed in` motor boats, yachts, launches, and the like and has more especial relation to the provision of a strut therefor.

A strut is employed to support the propeller shaft of water craft adjacent the stern thereof, at which part of the' boat, said unsatisfactory method Aof procedure. The.: chief reason for this diiculty is that each style of boat hull requires a strut of special height and heretofore no satisfactory adjustable strut for marine 'shafting has been devised which could be standardized.

The leadingobject of the present invention is to overcome the above described disadvantageous features 'and provide a strut of the character stated which is so arranged, constructed and connected that it may be cheaply manufactured in large quantities, obtained from stock and readily adjusted by unskilled labor to boats of various designs.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a strut of the character stated which is substantially V-shaped to provide a pair of arms each of which Vis capable of vertical adjustment for the purpose set forth in the leading object.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a strut of the character stated which has a self aligning bearing or hub portion pivotally suspended with respect to V-shaped part of the strut.

Other and further objects of the present invention reside in the provision of general details of construction and in the arrangement, connection and combination of parts as will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists of the novel construction hereinafter described and finally claimed.

The nature, characteristic features and scope of the invention will be more fully understood from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompany- Ving drawings forming part hereof, rand 1n Fig. l, is aview in side elevation of a motor boat equipped with a strutembodying the invention.

`Fig. 2, is a. view in side elevation of the strut detached.

Fig. 3, is an end view'of Fig. 2, certainparts being broken 'away for the purpose of clearer illustration.

' Fig. 4, is an enlarged sectional view of a detail of construction. j Y

' Fig. 5, is a view in cross-section of one of the arms shown inn Fig. `3.

` For the purpose of illustrating my invern PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- n tion I have shown in Vthe accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at pres eut preferred by me, since the same has f been found in practice `to give satisfactory andrreliable results, lalthough it is tobe unj derstood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention` is not. limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the in strumentalities as Vherein shown and described.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the strut is shown as being of theV-type, the arms of which are adjustable as to height and the bearing of which strut is adjustable as to angle longitudinally. The bearing is designated by reference numeral l for propeller shaft accommodation the latter being designated 2. The upper-portion of the bearing 1 is forked or V-shaped in crosssection to form a pair of lugs 3. Having pivotal relation with each lug S, by means of pivot pin i is the lower member 5 of a two-part arm. Each ofthese members 5 carries at its top, in fixed relation, a tube 6 which may, for instance, be brazed to said member 5. Each tube 6 is internally screwthreaded. Arranged for removable attachment over each tube 6 so as tov rest upon the top of a member 5 is the other member T of said two-part arms. Each member 7 is hollow and in cross-section is substantially dia- L mond-shaped and the top of each arm is provided with a plate 8 for attachment to the hull of a boat. Each plate 8 is counter-sunk as at 9 to receive the nut l0 of a bolt l1, the

lower end of which is screw-threaded to cooperatively engage the tube 6. It is thus apparent that by tightening of nuts l0 the bolts draw upwardly the lower members of the two-part arms includingy the bearing'. In installing a strut of the character above described an adjustment of arm length may be obtained b v cutting off the bottom of each hollow arm to obtain desired height7 and after the parts are made rigid by taking up on the nuts the protruding parts of the bolts are eut oil' Hush with the arm pads.

This strut is made of manganesebronze castings throughout and emery finished with the exception of the. bolts and pins which are tobin bronze. This insures a strongr and permanent strut for suspending.r the propeller-shaft beneath the after end of the boat. T he need for a stock strut is evi,- dent; without this type oi strut the boat owner or builder is compelled to make a pattern for each individual boat and have the castings andmaehine work done` in addition.y An added advantage oi this strut is that instead of having one arm in a vert-ical manner the V-strut has two arms one bracingy the other. The V-strut is intended to till the need for a strong durable strut that can be obtained from stock and adjusted with a small, amount of labor to the boat.

It will'now he apparent that Ivhave devised a novel and useful Construction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to rive satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modiiieation in various particulars without departing `from the spirit or scope ol the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

W'hat I claim is:

l. A strut having a pair of two-part arms arranged V-fashion the upper part of' each airm being tubular Vand provided with a counter-sunk pad to receive a nut, a bolt passing through each arm and having screwthreaded relation, with the upper'part of eaeh lower arm and a nut for the upper end of each bolt.

2. A strut having a pair of two-part arms arrangedy V-fashion the upper part of each arm being tubular and provided with a counter-sunk pad 'to reeeive a nut, aA bolt passing through each arm and havin;T screwthreaded relation with the upper part of each lower arm,a nut forthe upper end oi' each bolt, and a bearing,r having pivotal relation with said arms.

In testimony whereof', I have hereunto signed in v name.

CLEMENT A. TRUTH. 

